NEW YORK
Forward
Forward Staff
April 26, 2016
Jewish leaders and rabbis from a range of denominations have come out in support of legislation that would give New York State child sex abuse victims more time to sue those they hold responsible for their abuse.
Over the last few days, more than 50 leaders and activists, including some 30 rabbis, signed a letter in support of the Child Victims Act. The measure, first introduced years ago by Margaret Markey, a New York State Assembly Democrat, would extend the statute of limitations for civil suits against alleged sexual abusers of children and against institutions that fail to act against such abuse under their roofs.
The bill would also provide a one-year window during which past victims could go to court whose chance to sue their alleged abusers has already expired.
A companion bill sponsored by Markey would eliminate the current statute of limitations for criminal prosecutions of alleged child sex abusers.
Currently, child sex abuse victims must file suit against those they hold accountable for their abuse by the time they are 23. But many experts say that it can take decades—well into adulthood—for someone who has been abused as a child to understand what has been done to them, come to terms with it and act on their understanding.
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